Oil prices have gone through the roof. Civilisation is teetering on the edge. You’ve gotta find your own entertainment… why not go for a car race? Oh, you don’t need to worry about gas. Our cars run on something that everybody’s got…

The word “advisory” was coined for this new series from Syfy that smashes through any boundaries of taste and taboo (or as far as a show that’s made it to air can). I’ve rendered the title with asterisks for those, but if that sort of language (and seeing the activity it refers to on screen) offends, then steer clear of Blood Drive.

But if you love Grindhouse, if the idea of someone being fed to a hungry car (think an automobile version of Audrey II out of Little Shop of Horrors) after being forcibly castrated works for you, then tune in, because you’re going on the hell of a ride.

It’s Wacky Races on acid, The Cannonball Run reworked as The Cannibal Run. It borrows liberally from plenty of other films and series (the police element is pure Robocop, but taken to levels that even Paul Verhoeven might have shied away from), but gives its own spin – and every so often, you get a clear indication that the makers know exactly when to pull back for a moment and keep the audience on side.

It’s described as “an unapologetic orgy of action, violence, sex, vulgarity and general absurdity” – and that pretty much sums it up. Each episode promises to deal with a different form of Grindhouse, so get ready for some severe bad taste as “Saint” Arthur and Grace go on the roadtrip to and from Hell – with cops of a very different sort on their tail.

All the cast pitch their performances at the right heightened level – not just Alan Ritchson and Christina Ochoa as the mismatched pair, but Colin Cunningham’s Julian Slink, Thomas Dominique’s cop Christopher and Marama Corlett’s Aki and the rest of the racers who are painted in broad strokes in the opener. Michael Gatt’s music shifts gears as rapidly as the racers themselves, going from rock to lyrical to Spaghetti western in the space of a few bars.

Verdict: It’s sure as hell not going to be for everyone, but for those who like their horror gory, profane and so far over the top it’s coming back round the other side, Blood Drive is going to be unmissable. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Blood Drive starts on Syfy on June 14.

Read our interview with composer Michael Gatt here